Redating the New Testament
German critic Ferdinand Christian Baur (1792–1860) once contended that John’s Gospel was not written until about AD 160, when all eyewitnesses of Jesus would have been dead. Other critical scholars went further, stating that the entire New Testament was written between the 2nd and 3rd centuries. If these critics were right, the books named after Matthew, Mark, Luke, John and other New Testament books would all be forgeries.
This skeptical view of New Testament dating destroyed the faith of many for nearly a century until new forensic evidence proved Baur’s claim false.
So, what evidence do we have concerning when the Gospel accounts of Jesus were really written? The consensus of most scholars today is that the Gospels were written by the apostles during the first century. Four primary forms of evidence build a solid case for their conclusions:
Extrabiblical Documents
Late 1st century to early 2nd century writings from Christian sources such as Clement of Rome, Ignatius, and Polycarp cite New Testament passages, proving they had already existed within 10-35 years after Christ, and were regarded by early Christians as authentic.
Plus, over 36,000 extrabiblical quotations from New Testament passages in letters and sermons from early church leaders date from the first three centuries, some only ten years after its last book was written.1 New Testament scholar Bruce Metzger notes, “If all other sources for our knowledge of the text of the New Testament were destroyed, they would be sufficient for the reconstruction of practically the entire New Testament.”2
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